1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle mounted traffic surveillance system detection device, and, more specifically, to a device that mounts on the dashboard or windshield of an automobile for detection of microwave and/or laser energy emitted from police speed detection and speed camera apparatuses as well as location of red light cameras.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Existing radar/laser detectors and red light/speed camera location detectors are typically mounted to the dashboard or windshield of a motor vehicle. These detectors serve to alert the motor vehicle operator to the detection of microwave and/or light energy emitted by police radar and laser guns used for traffic speed enforcement, or to alert the operator as the vehicle approaches a known red light or speed camera location.
Typical radar/laser detectors typically contain a microwave horn, RF circuitry, a microprocessor, a display (such as text, LED, or 7 Segment), and an audible alerting device (such as a speaker, buzzer, or piezo element). Typical red light/speed camera detectors may also utilize a GPS engine, microprocessor, display (such as text, LED, or 7 Segment), and an audible alerting device. Some products have combined all these elements into a single housing. Control of these devices, separate or combined, is accessible by the user through front or top mounted switches. These devices are usually powered by a cigarette lighter adapter and cord that is configured to engage with a power jack receptacle located on the product housing.
In the beginning, police speed radar was only on X band and a simple detection diode circuit and horn were necessary to detect the electromagnetic energy. This method of detector was completely passive and did not emit electromagnetic radiation. The method of alerting was a simple illumination device of a single color and an audio alert.
As K band was introduced; early detector manufacturers modified their units to receive the new frequency in addition to the X band. As X band door openers became popular, it became necessary to differentiate the detected bands in such a way that the user would be able to readily distinguish between a possible X band door opener detection event and a K band law enforcement detection event. The typical methods of identifying and alerting a user to detection of the different bands was to provide a different colored illumination indicator, a different audio tone or pattern, or both. Such differentiation assisted the operator with the threat level assessment.
In the 1980s, Ka band was added to the arsenal of law enforcement tools. Initially, these radar guns were offered at select, single, frequencies in the 34 GHz region. In the early 1990s, additional guns became available in the 34.0-35.0 GHz region, and in the mid 1990s, new guns covered the entire Ka band region of 33.4-36.0 GHz. In the late 1980s, the first Laser gun for speed measurement enforcement was introduced. With the proliferation of these various enforcement tools, it became necessary to provide further distinguishing visual and audible alerts to the vehicle operator. Additional single colored LEDs were added to the product to provide this distinction as well as unique audible tones or patterns.
Each existing product manufacturer selected a color to represent the individual bands. In some cases, the same colors were used by different manufacturers but the location of the illuminating device on the product provided the distinction. In other cases, two different colored illuminating devices provided this distinction. For example, a first LED would illuminate for the detection of X band, a second LED for K band, and both the first and second LEDs for Ka band. In addition, different pad printing on the product's display window provided clarification as to the band identification. Additional LEDs were often added to the product to provide a separate, distinct, display for Laser detection. While this method worked relatively well for each individual brand or model, it was confusing when consumers changed brands or models and the colors or patterns were not the same as the previous brand or model. This caused consumers to re-familiarize themselves with color and band identification association.
Having the ability to customize the color of the alert for each band would be highly beneficial to a detector operator. However, existing devices do not provide this capability. For example, it would be beneficial if an operator could configure a device to display specific colors that they can see if their eyesight suffers from color blindness. It would also be beneficial if an operator could select colors such as green, yellow, and red typically associated with levels of urgency similar to traffic lights. They may also choose to set up alert colors similar to another brand or model that they have been accustomed to eliminate the need to retrain their brain when the unit alerts. Additionally, the user could scroll or alternate between two or more colors to provide a more urgent, visual affect.
As K band became a popular choice for door openers in the 1990s, it became more important to focus the alert information towards Ka band. Because the new radar speed frequencies were introduced in stages a few years apart, there were many varieties of detectors with many variations of the 1st local oscillator (L.O.) frequency plans and various sweep rates. The abundance of the swept frequency plans and rates created another problem. Many of these radar receivers unintentionally emit a 1st L.O. at a variety of frequencies and patterns, creating a “signature” when detected by another detector. This signature can often replicate the characteristics of speed radar guns. This is commonly referred as police radar detector, or PRD “falsing.” Many of these “false” signals occur in the Ka band. Because Ka band is 2600 MHz wide, some detector manufacturers have incorporated what is known as “Spec” mode or “Tech” mode to provide the frequency information of the detected signal on the text display. This was an effort to inform the operator of the frequency in use for the area in which they travel. However, it was ultimately left up to the operator to try and figure out if the information was “close enough” to the known police radar gun frequencies to be a concern. The problem with the information provided in this manner is that the average detector operator might not know what the valid Ka frequencies are.
Having the ability to assist in distinguishing valid police radar threats from PRD falsing would be highly beneficial to a detector operator. However, existing detectors do not possess this capability. While some of the Spec and Tech modes offer frequency information such as “33.712 GHz,” “35.566 GHz,” or “34.820 GHz,” it is still up to the user to determine if the frequency displayed is “close enough” (within tolerance) of a specific radar gun before determining if the alert is caused by a PRD. This human processing requires significant time, knowledge and experience to assess such a threat.
A detection unit that could automatically perform the analysis and provide the nominal information of the radar gun would be highly beneficial to a detector operator. However, existing detectors do not possess this capability. For example, if a radar gun with a nominal frequency of 34.7 GHz and a tolerance of +/−100 MHz were to be detected, simply displaying 34.7 for any signal in this 200 MHz window would benefit the user as they would now be educated as to the nominal radar frequency and would not have to determine if 34.635 GHz is “close enough”. Furthermore, as there are three primary Ka frequencies in use in the USA and two additional Ka frequencies in use worldwide, if an allowance is made for their tolerances, the window would cover approximately 1000 MHz of the 2600 MHz wide band. This would allow the remaining 1600 MHz to not provide a frequency indication. Thus, there is a high potential that the alert in these areas is not within the tolerance of any current Ka radar guns on the market.
Another option that is not present in existing detectors would be to categorize the frequency information in blocks of 100 MHz with the rounding of the tolerance above and below each relative frequency that would result in a display ending in XX.X50 GHz. If this were so, an operator would need to remember three frequencies for each radar gun. For example, 34.630 and 34.766 is within the tolerance of a 34.7 GHz radar gun, but because one frequency is below 34.650 and the other frequency is above 34.750, one would be displayed as 34.6 Ghz and the other would be displayed at 34.8 GHz. The opportunity to not display frequencies that are not within tolerance of the current Ka radar guns could still exist such as displaying only “Ka BAND” in place of frequencies that represent the areas outside the tolerances of current Ka police radar guns such as 33.4, 33.5, 34.5, 34.9, 35.0, 35.1, 35.2, 35.3, 35.7, 35.8, 36.9, and 36.0 GHz.
Laser was introduced to police law enforcement tools in the late 1980s. Consequently, the ability to detect laser energy was added to radar detectors creating yet another need for additional display indicators: lights and/or tones. The two earlier brands of Laser guns operated at a wavelength of 904 nm, but utilized different pulse rates (PPS, pulses per second) as their pulse train. One gun was just above 120 PPS and the other at 900 PPS. It became necessary for Laser detectors to alert to both of the pulse rates as well as potential new laser guns, which might operate above, below, or in between the currently, then known pulse rates. As laser detectors were also subject to alerting from stationary, non police, laser sources within these PPS rate windows, it was accepted that these sources cause laser alerts and users were careful when driving in these specific locations in the event that police laser was also in use and masking the risk. Common display alerts to laser range from a single LED, a backlit icon, to the word “LASER” on a text display. One manufacturer actually displays the potential gun on the text display based on the PPS rate. Naming the Laser gun can cause confusion as today there are many brands/models that may be the same or similar rates, making the information inaccurate other than to alert you to a form of laser being targeting on your detector.
With the introduction of Adaptive Cruise Control, which utilizes laser signals to dynamically assist with the braking operation of a vehicle, laser alerts can be generated from non-stationary sources, resulting in an annoying level of laser alert “falsing”. Having the ability to know the PPS rate would provide a significant advantage as it would allow the user to determine if the PPS rate is close enough to a known gun. If the user can determine if the PPS rate was related to a laser adaptive cruise control signal, the user could store this specific rate and treat the alert differently or even eliminate the PPS rate from alerting to future encounters. However, existing detectors do not possess this capability.
FIG. 1A depicts a typical prior art LED display radar detector (11), consisting of an antenna (10), buttons (12), and a display portion (13). FIG. 1B shows the display portion (13), which depicts individual LED (14) as an example of an alert indicator. FIG. 1C shows a typical leaded light emitting diode, LED which can provide more than one color. As discussed previously, such detectors provide very limited indications, such as yellow or red, when different frequencies are detected.
FIG. 2A depicts a typical prior art radar detector utilizing an LCD text display. The displaying portion (20) includes a character display (21) comprising of a backlit background (22). FIG. 2C is a typical LCD text display comprising a printed circuit board (33), a display module (35) and backlighting LEDs (34). FIG. 2D provides details of a typical surface mount, multicolored, LED. Such detectors are an improvement in that more colors are available for distinguishing the various detected frequencies. However, these detectors are usually limited to allowing the user to customize the overall color of the display to match the vehicle's interior.
FIG. 3A depicts a typical detector utilizing an icon display portion (50). The icon display portion is shown in FIG. 3B and consists of an LED array (60), covered by an overlay label (62), which has characters cut out from the overlay, providing an icon which is backlit by the LED. FIG. 3C shows the display assembly (70), consisting of an LED array (72), an overlay label (74), and a color (76), associated with the LED backlighting device. The different icons are displayed depending on the type of signal detected. However, the icons are fixed and provide essentially no customizability.